- Putting the H into H2O. Hydrogen fueling specialist Air Products has entered into a long-term agreement with Nestlé Waters to supply hydrogen and hydrogen fueling station technology for Nestlé's Dallas, Texas, facility. The hydrogen will be used to fuel a fleet of 32 Class I hydrogen fuel-cell-powered forklifts.
- Power shift. H-E-B, a Texas-based supermarket chain, has purchased 14 PowerEdge fuel cell systems and a PowerTap hydrogen generator/hydrogen station from Nuvera Fuel Cells. The fuel cell systems will power Class II forklift trucks used at H-E-B's perishables distribution center in San Antonio, Texas.
- Tea time. Tata Tea Group, one of the world's largest tea companies, has selected DSC Logistics as its lead logistics partner in the United States. DSC will provide supply chain and logistics support for Tata Tea's three main brands in the United States: Tetley Tea, Eight O'Clock Coffee, and Good Earth tea and coffee. DSC will also offer logistics support for Empirical Group LLC, which provides tea and coffee to Tata Tea Group's food-service customers.
- On the Prairie. Staples has selected RedPrairie's Workforce Management solution for use in its U.S. retail supply chain operations. Nearly 1,500 associates will use the solution in distribution centers located near Hagerstown, Md.; Killingly, Conn.; Terre Haute, Ind.; and Rialto, Calif.
In addition, RedPrairie has implemented its Duty Management solution at Houston Bottling and Co-pack, a Scotland-based company that offers bottling and co-packing services for the Scotch whisky industry. The Duty Management solution has reduced time spent on customs returns from one day to 15 minutes. - More time for tea. Milo's Tea Co. has signed a contract for dedicated contract carriage service with Ryder System, a transportation and supply chain management solutions company. Under the multiyear contract, Ryder will provide dedicated delivery service for Milo's Tea products from its distribution center in Bessemer, Ala., to retail stores throughout the state.
In addition, Mazda North American Operations has extended and expanded its contract with Ryder System to manage the distribution of auto parts in Mexico. Under the arrangement, Ryder will manage cross-border transportation of Mazda parts into Mexico and distribution to all Mazda dealers in Mexico. The extended contract will run through October 2011. - To Suhr, with love. Migros, a Swiss grocery retailer, will install Witron's Order Picking Machinery (OPM) system in its distribution center in Suhr, Switzerland. When the installation is complete, Migros will use the state-of-the-art logistics center to supply some 600 stores throughout Switzerland.
- Now getting a good night's sleep. Mattress and pillow manufacturer Tempur-Pedic has selected Optiant's PowerChain inventory and supply chain optimization suite. The company will use the software to set optimal safety stock levels, position inventory, and establish rules for replenishment.
- Fleet services on tap. Nestlé Waters North America has selected I.D. Systems to provide wireless vehicle management technology for its industrial trucks. The bottled water company will initially deploy I.D. Systems' PowerFleet Vehicle Management System at two sites, with plans for expansion to over 100 sites worldwide.
- Power play. The Department of Defense has purchased 19 Class 1 GenDrive fuel cell power units from Plug Power, a provider of clean energy solutions. Plug Power's GenDrive units will be commissioned at a U.S. Army Forces Command facility in Fort Lewis, Wash., where they will power a fleet of sit-down counterbalanced lift trucks.
- Cold hard facts. United States Cold Storage (USCS), a public refrigerated warehousing company, has implemented new ruggedized mobile devices from Psion Teklogix at over 30 sites nationwide. USCS is in the process of phasing out its older narrow-band units and converting over to the 802.11 technology standard with Psion Teklogix's 7530 G2 handheld and 8525 G2 vehicle-mount computers.
- Gobbling it up. West Liberty Foods has selected the FreightMaster hosted transportation management system from Next Generation Logistics to manage its freight and transportation operations. West Liberty Foods, a turkey processor based in West Liberty, Iowa, will use the TMS to improve visibility, reduce its transportation spend, and improve service levels.
- A black and white issue. Chico's FAS Inc., a women's clothing company, has licensed products from JDA Software to improve its merchandise planning, demand forecasting, inventory management, and customer service levels. Also included in the deal is JDA's Workforce Management software, which will help Chico's manage labor requirements within its stores. The clothier's retail brands include Chico's, White House/Black Market, and Soma Intimates.
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